Phonographic reproducer



H. H. STROMBERG.

PHON OGRAPHIC REPRODUCER. v APPLICATION. FILED MAR. 29, 1920. I

1,378,144. 1 Patented May 17, 1921.

2 SHEETS'SHEET I.

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H. H. STROMBERG. PHONOGRAPHIC REPRODUCER.

APPLICATION r1150 MAR.29, 1920. 7 a 1,378,144. Patented May 17,1921.

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UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE.F

HENRY a. STROMBERG, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

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Specification of Letters rateiit. P t t ay 7, 2

Application filed March 29, 1920. Serial No. 369,476.

To all 'wkom'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. STROM- BERG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,'have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Phono-- graphic Reproducers, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to themcompanying drawings, forming a 'part of this specification. I

My invention relates to improvements in phonographic reproducers and more particularly to devices of this kind which are used with phonographs using needles which must be renewed frequently.

The principal object of my invention resides in the provision of a phonographie reproducer of the class described which carries in its casing a needle magazine for storing a quantity of reproducer needles.

A further object of the invention consists in providing mechanism in connection whereby the needles are available for use,

with the needle magazine whereby an ample supply of reproducer needles .may be stored in the magazine at one loading and one at a time, as occasion demands.

Another object resides in the provision of a bracket to be used in connection with my improved reproducer whereby the operation of discharging'used needles and affixing new needles is 'greatly'facilitated.

A. further feature of my invention resides in the improved constructions and arrangements illustrated whereby a light com pact, durable and smoothly 'o erating device of this kind is provided W ich may be easily and economically manufactured.

These andother objects, advantages and. .uses of my improved reproducer will defi- 4 nitely appear in the following detailed de sci-iption in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings, wherein] Figure 1 is a top' plan of a portion of the inside of a phonograph cabinet showing a turn-table and a tone arm in COIiIlQCillOIl -with which the improved reproducer and bracket of my invention is illustrated. Figs. 2 and?) are side and front elevations respectively of the improved reproducer ofmy invention shown in its coopera-ting relation to. the'bracket.

Fig. 4c is aside elevation of the reproducer illustrated in the position in which it is preferabl disposed when reproducer needles are being loaded therein.

Fig. 5' is an enlarged vertical cross-section through my improved reproducer.

Fig.' 6 is a vertical sectiontaken on line 66 of Fig. 5 looking in the direction indica ted by the arrows.

F g. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged-sectional detail of the reproducer casing and needle 'magazine, illustrating a means which I provide in the casing whereby the sharpened po nts of the reproducer needles are insured against damage while they are stored in the magazine. I .Fig. 8 is an isolated side elevation of the magazine disk forming a part of the improved reproducer of my invention, and

.Fig. 9 s an isolated side elevation of the index plate forming a part of the improved reproducer of my invention.

The same-characters of reference refer to I like parts throughout the views.

Referring to the drawings;

In Fig. 1, reference numeral 10 designates a phonograph casing or framework-which carriesa motor board (not shown) on the pin and bayonet slot connection with the sound box or reproducer of my invention which is indicated generally by the reference numeral 15.

The mechanism thus far described is entirely conventional and I claim no invention tlierein exceptin'g in so far'as the combination thereof with my improved reproducer is concerned. It will, of course, be

understood that although I, have shown a phonograph of'the type utilizing a goose neck pivoted to the. end of the tone .arm,

I do not in'any wise limit the application form as of my inventionto this specific will hereinafter be understood.

The improved reproducer of my invention is illustrated in sectional and elevational detail in Figs. 5 to 9 inclus1ve. It

comprises a casing 16 in which is mounted a diaphragm 17 of mica, or any other simi-. lar transparent substance. Rubber rings or gaskets of conventional form are shown at 18 between which the diaphragm 17 is held at its edges. Secured to .the diaphragm at its geometrical center is a stylus lever 19 which is pivoted in the' usual manner through the studs and adjusting nut mechanism, indicated generally by the reference numeral 20. A stylus holder 21 has a bore 22 to receive a stylus or reproducer needle, one of vwhich is shown at 23: 7 screw 24 is provided to secure the, needle 23 in playing position in a well known man ner.

The arrangement of parts in the repro ducer proper which I have thus far described, is, of course, of conventional design and may be varied between wide limits as may be found necessary or desirable. It

will, of course, be understood that vibra-.

tions imparted to the stylus or needle 23 b a record causes correspondin amplified v1- bration of the diaphragm 1 in the usual manner. 1

An index plate 25in the form of a ring snugly fits inside of the housing 16 abutting the inner gasket 18; As most clearly appears in Figs. 2, 4, 5, and 9', the plate 25 is provided with indicia which are visible through thediaphragm 17 from the side of the re producer.. The function of these indicia will presently appear.

A circular plate 26 coversthat side of the housing opposite thediaphragm17. The plate 26 1S apertured as shown, and a suitableboss provided thereon in which a pin 27- is secured which engages in the bayonet slot provided in the goose neck 14 to hold the soundbox or reproducer 15 thereon, as

' aforesaid.

The plate 26 is secured to the housing 16 by screws, one of which is shown at 28,

' which pass through a flange provided on the plate 26. The plate 26 has an inwardly projecting cylindrical boss 29 which snugly fits the inside of the housing 16. The inner end of the boss 29 engages the index plate.

25 and serves to retain the same along with thedlaphragm 17 and gaskets 18 in proper dered annu'larly as at 30 and 31 to receive the magazine disk 32. The magazine disk 32 has a central aperture 33 and a concentric cylindrical boss 34 on which is secured, in

any suitable manner, the ratchet ring .35.

lurality of.

Provided in the disk 32 is a radlall extending bores 36 w ich extend tower the aperture 33 from the peri hery I "of the disk.'-.;The bores 36 are of su cient depth and gage to receive any-one of a The usual u The boss 29 is shoulnumber of'standard size reproducer needles shown at 23.

Provided in the inner face of the plate 26 is a channel'or groove 37 in which is mov- Laterally projecting lugs 4 and the plate 26 and has screw-threaded engagement with the lug 39. The outer end of the rod 41 is enlarged to provide a suitable key or finger piece 42. A tension spring 43 serves to hold the plate 38 normally in the position shown in Fig. 6 with the key 42 projecting freely outside of the housing 16 as shown. I

Pivoted to the-plate 38 on the pin 44 is a pawl 45, the free end of which enga'es in the ratchet 35 as shown in Fig. 6.

functions to ur e the pawl 45 normally into leaf spring 46 secured in lug 40 of the plate 38 pin 47 limits the counter-clockwise move-.1 ment of the pawl 45 on the pin 44; Provided in the'magazine disk 32 on the side which" engages the plate 26 are depressions 48 in which a ball 49 is arranged toengage, i

under tension of a spring 50 which. is received in a cap 51.

The ratchet 35, it will appear from an inspection of Fig. 8, is so proportioned with respect to the magazine disk 32, that the number of teeth therein is equa'l to the number of needle receiving bores 36 and depressions 48. l

An opening 52 is provided inthe casing 16 which extends from he shoulder 30in the plate 26 through the cylindrical ..boss 29 thereof and through the wall of the housing 16. The opening 52 communicates with" the -bore 22 which is provided in the needle holder 21 as aforesaid From the foregoing description, it will appear that upon depression of the key 42, the pawl 45 rotates the magazine disk. 32 in a counter-clockwise direction 'as viewed in Fig. 6. At the-limit of the inward movement of the key 42, the ball 49, under pressure of spring 50, drops int6 one of the depressions 48 provided in the disk 32. Upon release of the key 42, spring 43 acts to re-' turn the plate 38 to its normal position.

i The pawl 45 riding over a tootliof the ratchet 35, engages in the next notch preparatoig to further'advancement of the disk 32.

ovided in the shoulder 30 oftheplate .26 is a comparatively deep and narrow annular groove 53. It will ap ar that needles arriving at or near the ower endof the housing 16 upon periodic advancement Ofthe disk 32 will tend to drop out of the needle receiving bores 36 and the finely r sharpened points thereof would ordinarily be a raded by the. inner adjacent face of the shoulder 30 of the-plate 26. However,

as seen in Fig. 7, the tapered end of the needles 23 engage in the groove 53, the fine. sharp playing points thereof lying free from the reproducer 15 is preferably disposed upside down as seen in Fig. 4. A bracket54 is generally provided on the tone arm 12 and assists materially in the loading of needles.

However, where such provision has not been made, finger holds 55-55 provided on the casing 16 are advantageous. A quantity of new needles may be held in thebne hand or strewn on the turn-table 11. With the other hand, the operator may actuate the key 42.

Beprodu cer needles are dropped blunt end forward into the bore 22 of the needle holder 21, the screw 24 being, of course, loosened. A needle, when thus dropped, passes through the opening 52 into one of the needle receiving bores 36 in the magazine disk 32. The key 42 is thereupon depressed to advance the disk 32 as above described. If the operator should unconsciouslyforget to depress the key 42 after having dropped a needle into I the bore as described, and he should attempt to drop another needle into the same bore, the needle will not be received in the bore with the other needle, because the bores are not provided of sufiicient size to accommodate more than one needle. It is, therefore, impossible to store two needles in one bore. The operator alternately drops a needle into the needle holder-21 and depresses the key 42.

This operation is repeated until all of the bores 36 have been filled. The degree of load and unload is indicated by an index mark 56 on the magazine disk 32 which is preferably disposed adjacent the mark 0 when the magazine is empty. It will, of course, be apparent that any form 'of indicia may be provided either on the index plate 25 or disk 32 in place of the specific form described.

I shall now describe a form of bracket of my invention which is particularly adapted for use with my improved reproducer. The bracket is indicated generally. by the reference numeral 57 and'is particularly illus trated in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive. The bracket 57 is secured in any suitable manner to the inside of the phonograph cabinet, as by screws 5858, and its free end projects horizontally toward-the turntable 11 and preferably, lies slightly above the plane of the upper face'thereof. The free end of the .I claim as new anddesire to secure by bracket 57 lies directly over the mouth of a receptacle for used needles shown at 59. At its free end, the bracket 57 has a slight channel 60 formed inits upper edge which receives the lower edge of the reproducer casing 16, ad'oini'ng the point 20 as shown most clearly in ig. 2. A depending arm 61 on the bracket 57 has a lug 62 provided at its free end.

After the magazine 32 has been filled with reproducer needles as above described, the needles are available, one at a time, by depressing the key'42 as will be apparent.

When a selection is to be played, the tone arm 12 is swung to a position such that the reproducer 15 occupies the position shown in Figs. '1 to 3 inclusive. The key- 42 is depressed and a needle 23 thereupon falls down out of the disk 32 through the opening 52 into the bore 22 of the needle holder into engagement with lug 62 of the bracket 57 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The screw 24 is then tightened in the usual manner. 'The lug 61 is spaced at such a distance from the needle holder 21 that the needles 23, upon engaging it, protrude from the holder 21', a distance which practice has shown to be most desirable from the standpoint of good reproduction. The lug 61, therefore, acts not only as a spacing means, as described, but also as a stop to prevent the needles from falling into the phonograph cabinet when they are dropped from the magazine as aforesaid. After the selection is played, it is necessary to renew the reproducer. necdle before re- I peating the selection. The reproducer 15 is then moved to a position on-the bracket 57, such that the reproducer needle does not engage the lug 61, but extends to the right thereof. a (See Fig. 3.) The screw 24 is then loosened and the needle 23 drops into the receptacle 59 which is provided for the reception of such used needles.

While I have described my invention as applied to phonograph reproducers, it will, of course, appear that certain of the above described improvements may .beused to ad vantage in phonographic recorders, as well,

. without departing from thespir-it of my invention. While my improved reproducer may b made in various ways, and while any suitable material may be used in the ,manufacture' thereof, I prefer to make such parts as the casing? 16, plate 26 and disk 32 by a diecasting process, using any one of the various metal compounds used in this process. By so manufacturing my reproducer, I have found that the same may be made very economically and is, when completely assembled, very lightand durable. I

Having thus described my invention, what ters Patent of the United States, is:

Let- Y 1. Ina phonographic reproducer compris ing a casing and a needle holder therefor, the combination with. a disk in said casing arranged to receive a supplyof needles, of an annular groove in said casing arran ed to receive the pointed ends of said nee lesv to protectvthem from abrasion.

2. In a phonographic reproducer comprising' a casing, the combination with aneedle' holder of a magazine in said casing for storing a quantity of'needles in radial relation over said needle holder, and means to,

- intermittently rotate-said magazine to cause needles to drop into said holder one at a time. 4

3. In a phonographic reproducer comprising a casing,the combination with a needle holde'rof a disk in said casing, said disk disk comprising needle-receiving means,' and I means releasing needles from said disk to lever joining .said needle holder and dia-'' drop into said. needle holder.

.5. In combination with a phonographic reproducer comprising a casing and a needle holder therefor, a needle magazine in said casing for storing needles therein, and means for releasing needles from said magazine to be used insaid'holder. v w s 6. The combination with a phonographic reproducer comprising'aeasing and a needle holder therefor, a magazine in-said casing,

said magazine comprisingneedle-receiving means, means for" releasing needles from said magazine to be used in said holder, and means for indicating the degree of load and unload of said magazine.

7 In-a phonographic reproducer comp'ris- 7 ing a casing, a needle holder, a transparent diaphragm in said casing, an index plate therebehind, said plate comprising indicia,

rza-fdisk in said casing in back of said plate arranged to store needles, said disk having anindex markthereon, and means for rotating said-disk.

8. A phonographic re roducer comprising. a casing, a transparent reproducer dianhragm therein, a needle holder, a stylus phragm, a needle magazine disk in said casing 1n back of said" diaphragm over said needle holder, said disk having radiallyextending boresvtherein adapted to receive reproducer needles, saidcasing having an openunload of the needle magaz ne is ndicated. 1 1. A phonographictreproducer comprising affording communication-- between said holder,-an annular groove in said casing extending around the;peripherynf said disk adapted. t receive jpointed" ends of; the

reprodnoer td prevent abrasion thereof, means for'imparting rotary movement to said needle magazine diskeomprising'a'ratchet on: said disk, a spring-pressed pawl engaging said ratchet, a finger-piece connected therewith adapted, when dedicated, and detent mechanism for yieldingly holding said needle magazine disk in its adjusted position comprising a springis pressed ball, and depressions in-one face of said needle magazine disk adapted to receive said ball.

9. A phonographic reproducer, comprisingacasing, a reproducer diaphragm therein, a needle holder, a stylus lever joining said needle holder and diaphragm, a needle magazine disk in said casing, said disk hav- 'ing bores therein adapted to receive reproducer needles, means for imparting rotary movement to said d sk, comprising a ratchet on said disk, a pawl engaging said ratchet, a finger-piece connected therewith adapted,

when depressed, to actuate said pawl to rotate said disk, whereby needles may be re.-

leased from the'bores in said disk tobe' used in said needle holder and detent mechanism for holding said needle magazine disk in its adjusted position comprising a ball adapted to be received-in depressions formed in one face of said needle'magazine disk.

10. A phonographic reproducer, comprising a casing, a' transparent reproducer diahragm therein, a needle holder, a stylus ever joining said needle holder and diaphragm, a needle magazine disk 1n said casing, said disk having bores therein adaptedto receive reproducer needles, means for imparting rotary movement to said dlsk, comprising, a ratchet on said disk," a pawl en:

gaging said ratchet a finger-piece connected therewithadapted, when depressed, to actu re said-pawl to rotate said disk, whereby needles may be released from the bores in said disk to be used'in said needle holder, an

index mark onsaid disk, an index plate-between said disk and said. diaphragm, said disk, when rotated, causing movement of said mark, whereby the degree of load or 3 inga casing,- a transparentreproducer diahragm vtherein,"av-needle holder, a stylus said magazine being adapted to receive reproducer needles, means for actuating said magazine to release needles therefrom to be used in said needle holder, an index mark on said magazine, an index plate having indicia relative to the number of needles which said magazine is capable of holding,

' said magazine, when moved,-.causing moveneedle magazine to release needles therefrom ment of said index mark whereby the degree of load or unload of the magazine is indicated.

12. A phono raph reproducer comprising a casing, a dlaphragm therein, a needle holder, a stylus lever joining said needle holderand diaphragm, a needle magazine in said casing, having bores therein for receiving reproducer needles, a groove in said casing adapted to receive the pointed ends of the reproducer needles to prevent abrasion thereof and means for actuating said to be used in said needle holder.

13. The combination in a phonograph comprising a casing, a turn table, a tonearm mounted in said casing adjacent said turntable and a receptacle for used needles at one side of said turn-table adapted, when said tone arm is in inoperative position to lie beneath the free end thereof, of a reproducer on said tone arm, said reproducer comprising a needle magazine for storing a quantity of reproducer needles, said magazine adapted when actuated to dispense needles, one at a time, for use in-the reproducer, and a bracket in said casing over said used needle receptacle adapted to support said reproducer in inoperative position whereby used needles released from said reproducer may drop into said receptacle, the said bracket comprising an abutment adapted, whensaid reproducer 1s supported on said bracket, to

lie in spaced relation thereto, a distance equal to that which the reproducer needles must protrude from the reproducer to effect proper reproduct on of sound, said abutment being adapted to stop and gage the needles as the same are dispensed, one at a 'time ,-bv said needle magazine.

14. The combination in a phonograph comprising a casing, and a tone arm mounted in said casing, of a reproducer on said tone arm, said reproducer comprising a needle magazine adapted when actuated, to

dispense needles, one at a time, for use in a needle magazine.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 26thday of March, 1920.

HENRY H. STROMBERG. Witnesses:

EDNA V. GUs'rArsoN, IRENE T. RAsMUssEN. 

